Wednesday, September 30, 2009

You're a kid. You like sweets. You know it'll give you Salmonella (or at least that's what yer mother says), but you want to eat the dough. Forget the oven, the baking, the "cookie" itself, bring on the gritty paste - the texture is so much unlike the traditionally desired product and who stands for that?

Now you're an adult. You know you probably won't get any killer disease from eating the raw dough, seeing as your immune system is all go, but you still want the satisfaction of the cookie itself, the fresh-out-of-the-oven shit. This reminds you of back then when you were forced to delight in the baked product, but it also reminds you of how eating the uncooked dough is still a fantastic and divine yet somehow devilish undertaking...

Cue experimental percussionist Oscar McClure. Dude's somewhere in the middle of these processes, offering up a huge and sugary slab of beat morsels, recordings, etc from which he will presumably apply various Holiday-themed cookie cutters (not in the sense of cookie-cutter-as-standardized, or course) to isolate certain aspects, moods, gems, pieces, circles, crystals - some with more chips, some more oats, some with leftover dark brown sugar clumps.

This batch-in-progress will make up McClure's debut record, out sometime soon on Leaving Records. Enjoy the parts as a whole now. I can only imagine how the finished products will sound.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Recently, High Wolf sent me the track "Astro Black Ghost, Speak To Me!" from his new CDR Incapulco (Winged Sun). I mentioned how the track's rad and turns out so is the rest of the seven tracks' worth of glistening hotbox jungle sweat (especially "Do You Have A Moustache?," "Utopia"). Paypal €6.5 to enferboreal@gmail.com for your copy. Dude's also got a record as Iibiis Rouge out soon on Dekoder plus a split with Dreamcolour and another tape. No shortage of jams any time soon.

One day, all the world's Ocean Water will become sparkling, a constant fizzing and bubbling vat of chilled Perrier for all of Earth's young to take dips in, for young fish to flop in, for young sailors to sail atop. You know, Carbon this and Carbon that. Cole Furlow a.k.a. Dead Gaze rises from this metamorphosis, from its epicenter - Mississippi, U.S.A., where, like the carbonated morning dew, albums drop free. Check out the track, then go a-scollin and grab the whole new album End of Days, Why Not You? at the best cost. There's a video for "Back and Forth" too, which you can check out HERE (all stuff via Cole, made possible by Weekly Tape Deck).

Pleased to announce the official 'cover art' for what one might call FB003 (assuming FBC1 was FB001 and FBC2 is FB002), otherwise known as Byrds of Paradise's Hearts of Palm cassette. As stated previously, the tape will run about 20 minutes in total, something like eight songs. Head over to Myspace and preview some jams.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Towards the beginning of August I couldn't stop listening to the Myspace songs offered up by Cool-World (not THATCool World) and while it took about six weeks for songs to filter in it was well worth the wait. Slightly surfy and completely radical, Cool-World's jams are raw, raucous and fun, persistent in repetition and flavor. These instrumental jams resemble the looser side of Real Estate or Tan Dollar, but without words, bringing to mind instrumental material from something even more beach-worthy like Boogie Boarder. It's 70F outside and sunny. You can still smoke weed, find a beach and cool out all shirtless. Check out a couple newer tracks "Dream Shake" and "Sun Roof Top," as well as the slightly older "Ice Cream."

Yessir another edition of Papercup Mixmaster airs tonite, Wednesday September 25, from 8-10PM EST. Much like last week, your beloved host DJ VJ will not be accompanied by fellow host MC². She is quite under the weather (hospitals, etc.. best wishes), so I will assume responsibility and guide you through two solid hours of delicious hang-glider radio, featuring new music from Wild Safari, Cool World, Tonstartssbandht, Washed Out, Woven Tales, Emeralds and many more.

Since two hours is many minutes long, I'll also dig in my records and squeeze out some vinyl chillers for you all to indulge in. I'll also take requests on Twitter (@FriendBracelet) or on the phone, (413)545-3691.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Yeah I know there's mad "Woven"s floatin about (actually onlytwo), but here's another. Woven Tales is Brian Warden from Florida. The Warden crafts these slow-pulsatin, cloudclub-stompin hint-o-jams. They never really explode. This is fine - explosions are violent and crazy. Woven Tales is dreamy and thriving. Peep these two jams and then buy something from the guy sometime when its possible.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

This Emeralds record is awesome. Grabbed it over at the Weed Temple. Ambient drones and pulsing synth mindfucks which remind me of that Oneohtrix Point Never record. Generally from the icy depths of outer space, though at times it sounds almost human, but not quite - like a microscopic spaceship that, instead of soaring through galaxies and asteroid belts, prowls alongside platelets and leukocytes and cruises the bloodstream. Especially dig the second track, "Geode" (more like Oneohtrix Point Never), and the third track, "Diotima" (more like "Seagull's Flight"/"Parasailing"-sort of Ducktails)

So I spoke on Wild Safari in the last post and how they're doing a split with Cough Cool (out soon on Woven Tones) but had not some songs to share. Today is a new day and with this new day the sun brings words of good hope as well as MP3s. Wild Safari has offered up a track for the imminent Friendship Bracelet Club compilation Volume 2, and has offered up two tracks for all the good people to devour as they roll up a snake in the grass and meander down the river of the mind, backs laid flat on banana leaf rafts.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Cough Cool has a split out soon with Wild Safari. Cough Cool was recommended to me by Julian Lynch a while ago. I checked the Myspace at that time, then forgot. Fast forward a couple months and Dan sent me "Roxette" and "Rainbow God," both of which everyone seemed to be down with. Been diggin the latter hard, though the most recent track in my Inbox, "Flower Reading," relies much less on propulsion and much more on pacing. Slow plods to nowhere from New Hope, PA.

I believe the first track can be found on the upcoming cassette split with Wild Safari on Woven Tones (according to tags) and the second track can be found on the upcoming Buy Some Dust cassette (Bathetic). Wild Safari is certainly worth the listen as well. Though I've only been able to hear their jams in the realm of Myspace, I sure dig a ton - been on repeat during the times of zone-out.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

It has become apparent that my server I've been using for streams/downloads, Box.net, has a monthly limit on bandwidth which I exceeded this month with about 2 weeks left before the new month. This will not be stood for. Since this bandwidth infraction means no downloads from any of my Box.net files til the beginning of October, I have been in talks with friends trying to beef up my bandwidth. This means a new server, which I will be working on very soon. Until this move, there will unfortunately be no uploads. If there happens to be a file you simply can't live without, hit me up at iprnelson@gmail.com and we can work something out.

A couple other things in the works:

1. Volume 2 of the Friendship Bracelet Club compilation series grows and grows every day, and will finally see the light of say at the beginning of October. This collection of previously unreleased songs has been slowly trickling in since Volume 1 dropped, and I am very excited to release it on the world. Keep yer ears to the soil, this shit's rumblin hard.

2. I have been in talks with Kenneth Brown and have been examining his Byrds of Paradise project rather closely over the last few weeks, and am very very happy to announce the first ever non-compilation Friendship Bracelet release, Byrds of Paradise's Hearts of Palm cassette. The tape will run about eight tracks, around 20 minutes in length and will feature re-recorded versions of most previously available Byrds of Paradise jams plus new material. Still unsure on an exact release date, price or edition, but I'll be sure to keep everything up to date as informations begin to crystallize. Excitement abound!

3. Podcasts of current radio program Papercup Mixmaster will start to make appearances in these pages as well. The first will be yesterday's show, hopefully up sometime this week.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Friday night means I'm on the radio, 8-10PM on WMUA in Amherst, 91.1FM on the dial and streaming from wmua.org. MC² will be joining myself, the DJ VJ Singh, via technology so while you can't call up n speak with the female portion of the duo, you can still listen in and call me up to make a request or chat the night away at (413)545-3691.

You'll be sure to hear new music from High Wolf, Woodsman, Zola Jesus, Naomi Punk, Milberg, Girls, Sun Mantra and many many more, so tune in and keep me company. Oh, and my Pure Ecstasy 7" arrived recently so I'll play that. Any maybe some of Panda Bear's ATP NY performance will slip slide in there.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Right away I'm hit with a pleasing breath of lazy times, what I liken to the feeling when you don't want to get out of bed on an early Sunday afternoon cos its cold and there's someone else keepin the sheets warm with you and if you get out of bed you know your bones will chatter all the way down the hall and onto the somehow colder tile floor. So you wait and wait and wait until you finally have to use the bathroom for real. Then you come back, resume your hideout from the icy bedroom air, and proceed to drift back into the familiar cocoon of wool and flannel.

Oh, and awesome vocal hooks. Also check out her rad Au Revoir Simone remix at Myspace.

Well now that you know Fall looms heavy, let's not waste time pretending Summer's still beaming down.

Two dead leaves turned brown and too brittle to hang onto Screen Gems' branches any longer. The wind swept them away and into my ears. Here is the first, "Wandering Soul," some slinky, cavernous blues for your evenings as they grow more and more crisp. Chilly harmonies, desolate and loping guitar. Some first snow of the season business.

"Hey Tiger,

Just blowin you a kiss, here are 2 gems. we're some folks from other bands, and we ate some shrooms by a bonfire over labor day wknd and came up with these."

That's all the dudes had to say. That, plus their answer to my inquiry as to which "other bands" they're in, which was "MGMTea and JeffersonHairplane."

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

So technically it's still Summer for another week. It's still warm n sunny and you can wear t-shirts during the day. However, it's getting so cold at night it feels a lot closer than six weeks til Halloween. Here's a few dudes to add to your costume-brainstorming-session-soundtrack-mix:

This video for Gary War's "Highspeed Drift" from his new record Horribles Paradise (Sacred Bones) is simply great and fucking weird.. like a good kinda Excepter weird. Check that out and BUY the record.

More sludgy beast rock from Woven Bones. Kind of reminds me of Witch but less black metal, more garage fuzz. They've got The Minus Touch 12" out soon on Zoo Music. RSTB turned me on to these guys and all the links to songs below are from them.

This one might be slightly too obvious, but Werewolves of Pittsfield gotta be on dat mix too. Here's a couple track's worth of 'Harmonicore' to keep you howlin allll Hallow's Eve, recorded live at The Room at Rebel Sound Records sometime this Summer.

Jeez, I think I listened to this track 20 times today. Transparent posted "N/A" from Naomi Punk earlier on (with spot-on photo compliment) and I can't get enough. As Transparent suggests, write her a letter. Or send her an email. She will reply and you will get lucky.

There exists a wide-eyed jubilant charm about this entire song, as well as the rest of Naomi Punk's sound, something trying to speak to the masses without the confines of audible/intelligible/English words and succeeding gracefully. Unlike the rest of their songs, which remain encapsulated in a crunchy garage coating, "N/A" opts for more of an outsider perspective. It's still a wonder to me that people in, say, Seattle, can even interact with people in, say, Rwanda (as is the case with this example), let alone record music with them in a tasteful, non-exploitative manner.

Do yourself a favor check out the track HERE, then peep a few more at Myspace.

Trevor from Woodsman sent me over this track "Sunglass" a few days ago, and while I'd usually just link you to someone else who already posted it, I really dig the track so here it is to enjoy. Watch out for Woodsman's first LP on Mexican Summer, out this December.

"Sunglass" is a cavernous jam session, you guessed it, straight out the Denver wood. Heady, wavy, circular and to the left, as prescribed by generally accepted etiquette. Can't wait to chill out to the full-length this winter.

Yesterday Stones Throw offered up Koushik's new album of instrumentals Beep Tape for free download for just one week. Shit's a bit more heavy n raw than that cooled-out blunt ride fodder Out My Window, though for all intents & purposes you should nurse a blunt with Beep Tape too. 30 tracks in about 30 minutes. I dig 5, 7, 8... fuck it, just head on over to Stones Throw and snatch that before your week is up. Ya got six more days.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

I wasn't at ATP NY Friday night, unfortunately, so I missed Panda Bear's set, but I ended up going for the day yesterday (Saturday). I caught sets from Sufjan Stevens (played Seven Swans, was excellent), Grouper (her soundcheck was awesome, missed half of her set which was creepy), Atlas Sound (pretty rad, though it just didn't seem like he played long enough), Shellac, Deerhunter (apparently their last show in a while) and Animal Collective. I really hope there's some quality audio/video of Deerhunter's set because it was outrageous... purely enjoyable and truly amazing. Animal Collective was awesome too, rad version of "Who Could Win a Rabbit." And a pretty awesome set. You'll probably see some professional photography and videography very soon.

I must say, I was intrigued by the foundation-rattling noise coming from the first stage at one point. It was Black Dice. I entered the room for a total exceeding no more than a minute and a half before retreating back outside. Quite possibly the loudest anything I've ever experienced. Also Kutsher's Country Club was generally awesome. Hopefully I'll go all three days next year.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Tonite is the first nite of my new time-slot on the air, Friday nights from 8-10PM EST on 91.1FM WMUA or streaming from wmua.org. I am no longer an Auditory Magician. I, DJ VJ, am now a Papercup Mixmaster (pictured above), along with the lovely MC² (pictured previously).

Never knew there was more than one Alaska. I was wrong. These ALASKAS have nothing to do with Juneau, the arctic circle, reindeer or huge black gold mains. More to do with "a one-man power-house of primitive bliss, looped vocals and loose, slippery beat boxing," according to the press-release. I recognize the name from that Universal Studios Florida record, as they're featured on the track "Startled By Sparkling Water."

Dillon James Rego is ALASKAS and he sent me over his new album Set Yourself Free sometime in the past 12 hours. Weekly Tape Deck is always hard at work absorbing much of the same music as me but at a much more rapid pace, so you can catch a couple tracks HERE, then indulge in a couple more below before pre-ordering the whole album HERE.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Speaking of Matthew David, he sent me over another track from his DISK collection in addition to the previous sample at Leaving Records). "Fernwood Flash" explodes heavy, but not for long. Like a bangin Dem Hunger beat but for the whole song's length - large and psychedelic (er.. "post-psychedelic"). Wish I had spent the whole summer with this stuff. Snatch this one up cos it ain't gona last, then go on over to Leaving and BUY your copy HERE ("Packaged in hand-crafted 5 1/4″ floppy disks, mega limited"). Sounds interesting. Can't wait for my copy.

matthewdavid - fernwood flash

(I told ya it wasn't gona be up for long... but you can stream it at Myspace)

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Heard a ton about Standthis, a tape release from Dak, on Leaving Records over the past months but only heard "gobtween" + Myspace tracks til now. Matthew David sent me over the entire digital release, which you can also purchase on limited cassette with silk-screened slip-covers and added b-sides HERE. About Dak's sound, Leaving had this to say:

"Although Dak’s sound is rooted in basic hip-hop rhythms and structures, his main practice consists of insane post-dilla experiments in freepsychjazz. This exploration and ultimate transcendence of genre captures the spirit and scope of Leaving releases to come."

In that case, can't wait more from this dublab offshoot. Once again, BUY the music HERE after tasting a treat where you at:

In other Paw Tracks news, Tickley Feather's Hors D'Oeuvres record is also out October 20. Found it via Google search and it's rad. I remember really liking a few tracks from her last record (Tickley Feather, also on Paw Tracks) which we got at WMUA, so I assume the new one will arrive eventually. Beautiful tunes, bouncing drum machines, warm touches of reverb. RSTB, Impose and The Wire all have clips, but for serious just download the whole thing then BUY IT when it becomes available.. and since I can't find a pre-order link BUY Tickley FeatherHERE.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Max a.k.a. High Wolf sent over this huge pounding growling excursion "Astro Black Ghost, Speak to Me!" this afternoon, a track from his new CDR Incapulco. If you already enjoyed Animal Totem and Gabon, you should probably check this out. Starts out sort of on an Oneohtrix Point Never synth buzz, builds slowly and precisely into battering ram pummels and head-nod wahs. Awesome.

With all that Real Estate contact last weekend I didn't think I'd be seeing/hearing from the dudes for a bit, at least til their LP dropped, but to my surprise the suggestion from Gabriel (good budbud/fellow WMUA DJ) to get the band down to the WMUA studio for a live set actually went down. This was rather unplanned, as we just kind of mentioned it to the guys a couple days before Saturday, but 3/4 of Real Estate (Bleeker bounced to alma mater Bennington a bit early) invaded the UMass Campus Center for a 26-minute set of eight songs, including three Ducktails jams ("Backyard" + "Pizza Time" + "House of Mirrors") and that woodsy new track they've been playing, "Younger Than Yesterday."

The set is really great, its simplicity noted by Gabe for its use of "a borrowed guitar" and "only an armload of drums," not to speak of the missing bassist. A man-down rhythm section is hardly a bad thing, as the songs flow free n easy, Martin and Matt's guitars dueling in the sweetest of fashions, like breezy birdsongs or babely surfer girls or sandy beach hair, whatever summery metaphor you like. I especially dig the "Pizza Time" jam, one I don't think I've ever heard live before, and the slightly less raucous version of "Green River," which doesn't mind at all being played a step slower than its usual rowdy rollick.

In fact, it's all good so yourself a favor and head over to WMUA and download/stream the podcast in its entirety:

Strummy new track from Weed Diamond on the upcoming Sweater Kids cassette on Mirror Universe (same guys who released that new Washed Out cassette High Times, which I can assume is awesome from the two tracks "Belong" and "Luck" found here), due out by end of month. Excited to hear what new sounds arise, especially his contribution for these pages.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Chris Thorne from Tan Dollar recently sent me a link to his new EP, Pink Sky, which was recorded by Paul Rosales a.k.a. Wonder Wheel. The six tracks are divided - two instrumentals + four songs from their tour cassette. I really dig "Chinese Song" and the last track "Untitled." Maybe you will too.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Checked out Real Estate the past couple nights, Thursday with the Smith Westerns at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY and last night with Jana Hunter at George Myers' house in Northampton ((Happy Birthday, Etienne)). Both sets were fairly similar, considering the drastic change in venue from bouncing Freshman jubilee to stone-faced Northampton regulars, and both were fantastic. They're pretty much done with their Woodsist full-length as far as I can tell, and it will be available on vinyl next month with a CD release to follow. They've got two other releases in the works, a 12" on Mexican Summer (currently on fire) and a 7" on True Panther Sounds. Alex Bleeker's Freaks 12" on Underwater Peoples is also happening very soon, as he just okayed the masters Thursday.

Friday, September 4, 2009

New video from Get Back Guinozzi, who I first heard mentioned on GvBa bit back and had only heard that one song + a cover until just now. "Low Flies Tropical" is way breezy, laid back, sort of what I imagine Little Joy sounding like if they had a little French in em instead of all that Spaniard.

I suppose I should warn the NSFW nature of the video, even though I saw it at work and proceeded to watch a few times... but really it's just some good-natured flailing + shimmying by some bodypainted (and unbodypainted) 1960s babes, shakin hips in the rainbow kaleidoscopic fuzz of shadow and aging film. Fader calls it innocuous, as it's meant to be. Fuck the pornographic gaze - this is free love in its simplest form.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Well, last show with DJ DARMOK a.k.a. DJ Salinger a.k.a. Barry is tonite, in like an hour, featuring zero new music and 100% killer jams from decades when life was simpler, more specifically from about 1985-1995. Tune in to WMUA 91.1FM or stream from wmua.org to hear two hours of sweet love from 8-10PM EST. Cuts should include and will not be limited to:

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Monica from BxF recalls a tale regarding Rangers' Low Cut Fades (Not Not Fun) tape as well as offering up the tape for download.

I've smoldered out to the MP3 version for a while (the tape's cold sold out) and it smacked me good enough to inquire to Mr. Knight about appearing on Vol. 2 of the Friendship Bracelet Club and he obliged, offering up a great tune called "These Things." Watch out for the full compilation towards the end of the month, also featuring the likes of Forest Swords, Big Troubles, Tonstartssbandht, Byrds of Paradise, Rene Netherlands, Pure Ecstasy, Bee Eyes and many many more.

In the mean time, read the blurb and grab Low Cut FadesHERE from constant gem-uppers and substance inhalers BxF.

UUUTAPES.COM

FRIENDSHIP BRACELET CLUB VOLUME 5

HIT ME HARDER

SICK

If there's somethin on here you don't approve of me having here please let me know cos I don't wanna hurt nobody. Downloads are for sampling purposes and if there's anything afoot iprnelson@gmail.com is where complaints be filed.